Easter Start

It was a wet day throughout - from well before we awoke! However, it was rarely 'proper' rain (Christine objects: it was real enough for her!) although there was enough to keep us in our wet weather clothes and to need to dry out afterwards! Hopefully it will at least start to dampen the ground surface so that any further rain will properly penetrate to the water courses.

Leaving packet Boat Marina - with swan on guard

We were off in good time as we wanted to make sure that we reached our planned destination - Croxley - as we have a commitment tomorrow to pick up two granddaughters who are coming to stay over whilst their Adrian and Joanna go to a family funeral in the afternoon.

At the first lock, the keeper was running water down as there had been reports of the level at Camden being eight inches down at the weekend. 27 miles of level pound take some filling but he assured us that the river which joins in just below Uxbridge Lock will soon fill up that pound.

It then turns out that he was the lock keeper we checked in with at Brentford Thames Lock after our trip up the Thames. He had been concerned because he had been expecting another boat to make the trip that day but we told him that no-one else locked down with us. We had suggested that, as they were a Black Prince boat, they had probably been caught by the closure of the Regents canal. It was interesting to find out that we had been right - he later checked with the hire company!

There are some strange or special constructions of boats around here!

Floating dry dock below Denham Deep Lock

No doubt this one is having a dispute with the spelling tsar!

River feed just below Uxbridge Lock

The first section away from Packet Boat was lined with moored boats for some distance but gradually more open stretches arrived, although there is another mass gathering of boats on both banks (few of which look as if they ever move) close to Rickmansworth.

We shared locks for a couple of the locks in the morning - they had just come out of Harefield Marina and were on a short outing to Coy Carp Pub. Harefield Marina is itself a former gravel pit but much of the bank between it and the canal appears to have disappeared - but beware anyone who tries to cross the line direct in or out of their moorings! (The camera also has caught some of the rain!)

Harefield Marina

We stopped for lunch and felt that we were justified in having a bacon butty - accompanied by eggy bread (made from the remains of a spelt loaf).

Off again and by now one side of the canal was often rural - although urban areas are never very far away - with the long line of lakes made from old gravel workings on the other side.

This heron stayed put even as Mike walked past, only a few feet away!

Below Copper Mill Lock

There is a strong cross stream just below Copper Mill Lock and Christine discovered that even in the present drought the strength made it rather difficult to keep away from the downstream bank!

There are always buildings worth spotting, some have been here since the canal was first built but others are only meant to look that way. This splendid apartment block, just like an old warehouse, was actually built in 2004!


We spotted this 'hanging' fellow when we came this way last autumn - but he his looking rather more weathered now!

Just below Stockers Lock we could see two boats just leaving the lock (they were hire day boats) but were obstructed by a loose boat which had lost one end of its moorings and was right across the cut. Mike used the stern fender of our boat to ease it round and back to the back whilst some of the crew of one hire boat and another waiting to follow them down the lock made it fast to the bank again! Alas we did not manage a proper action photo - only the final moments!

We arrived at Croxley in good time and attempted to moor below Common Lock only to discover that the banks are very shallow. We reversed back a little way to some mooring rings, courtesy the Keynsian projects of the late 1930's, but even so we stuck out at the stern!

Mike then decided to collect the car from Packet Boat today, giving us more time in the morning to get down to Windsor. he had researched the journey before leaving home.

For those of us more used to irregular bus services, perhaps just some days of the week, it seems amazing what can be done with public transport in this part of the world! It did take a little bit of luck as we had forgotten that it was a Bank Holiday with a different timetable. Mike was surprised to see the first bus, the 724 from Croxley Station, 10 minutes earlier than he had expected! Fortunately he was early!

That bus took him to Uxbridge, very close to the station where the 222 to Cowley Peachey departs. Although one was leaving just as he found the right bus stop - there seemed to be more to choose from than in the whole of Cornwall! - is was only about 12 minutes before the next.

What also was a pleasant surprise was that he was able to use his Cornwall bus pass and both journeys needed no additional fare! So, just an hour after leaving Croxley Station he was at the car and setting the Sat Nav (on the mobile phone) for the return journey which took just half an hour!

10.1 miles - 10 locks